Grazing on Microcystis (Cyanophyceae) by testate amoebae with special reference to cyanobacterial abundance and physiological state

We examined the growth of testate amoebae preying on Microcystis whose physiological states were different in laboratory experiments and a hypertrophic pond. We prepared three experimental systems using water samples dominated by Microcystis aeruginosa: light incubation (control), dark incubation (dark), and light incubation with addition of nitrogen and phosphorus (+NP). In all the systems, the colony density of M. aeruginosa decreased slightly during incubation. Physiological activity of phytoplankton as determined by chlorophyll fluorescence was high and almost constant in the control and +NP systems, whereas it decreased in the dark system. Cell densities of testate amoebae increased in the control and +NP systems, whereas in the dark system they remained low. Thus, growth of the amoebae was low in the systems where physiological activity of Microcystis was low. In a hypertrophic pond, cell density of testate amoebae increased and remained high when M. aeruginosa predominated. Cell density of testate amoebae increased remarkably, simultaneously with the increases in M. aeruginosa colony density and phytoplankton physiological activity. We also found a significant correlation between densities of M. aeruginosa colonies and testate amoebae. We suggested that the physiological activity of Microcystis is one important factor affecting the growth of testate amoebae grazing on Microcystis

Smoking Cessation after Discharge among Japanese Patients with Established Ischemic Heart Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study

In this prospective cohort study for Japanese patients with established ischemic heart disease (IHD), the authors investigated the rate of success of smoking cessation 3 months after hospital discharge and its related factors. The subjects included 90 current smokers admitted for IHD. A total of 58 subjects (64%) had quit smoking for 3 months after being discharged. In comparison with subjects with acute myocardial infarction, those with stable angina (SA) showed a significantly lower frequency of smoking cessation (relative risk of resuming smoking (95% confidence interval):2.06 (1.09, 3.92), p=0.036). This relationship remained significant even after controlling for sex, age, and scores of the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (adjusted odds ratio:3.39 (1.01, 11.37), p=0.048). However, it became insignificant when hospital admission followed by emergency medical service (EMS) care was additionally adjusted (adjusted odds ratio:2.48 (0.36, 16.97), p=0.356). The smoking cessation rate in this study was identical to that observed in studies conducted in Japan prior to the recent social changes with regard to tobacco use. SA still appears to be a risk factor for smoking resumption after discharge. Experiencing EMS care would be an intermediate variable in this relationship.</p

Expression and localization of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF/Hcs24/CCN2) in osteoarthritic cartilage

AbstractObjectiveThe investigation of the expression and localization of connective tissue growth factor/hypertrophic chondrocyte-specific gene product 24/CCN family member 2 (CTGF/Hcs24/CCN2) in normal and osteoarthritic (OA) cartilage, and quantification of CTGF/Hcs24-positive cells.MethodsCartilage samples of patients (n=20) with late stage OA were obtained at total joint replacement surgery. Morphologically normal cartilage was harvested for comparison purposes from the femoral heads of 6 other patients with femoral neck fracture. Paraffin-embedded sections were stained by Safranin O. The severity of the OA lesions was divided into four stages (normal, early, moderate, and severe). The localization of protein and mRNA for CTGF/Hcs24 was investigated by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization, respectively. The population of CTGF/Hcs24-positive chondrocytes in OA cartilage and chondro-osteophyte was quantified by counting the number of the cells under light microscopy.ResultsSignals for CTGF/Hcs24 were detected in a small percentage of chondrocytes throughout the layers of normal cartilage. In early stage OA cartilage, the CTGF/Hcs24-positive chondrocytes were localized mainly in the superficial layer. In moderate to severe OA cartilage, intense staining for CTGF/Hcs24 was observed in proliferating chondrocytes forming cell clusters next to the cartilage surface. In chondro-osteophyte, strong signals were found in the chondrocytes of the proliferative and hypertrophic zones.ConclusionCTGF/Hcs24 expression was detected in both normal and OA chondrocytes of human samples. The results of the current study suggested that expression of CTGF/Hcs24 was concomitant with development of OA lesions and chondrocyte differentiation in chondro-osteophyte

Kcnab1 Is Expressed in Subplate Neurons With Unilateral Long-Range Inter-Areal Projections

Subplate (SP) neurons are among the earliest-born neurons in the cerebral cortex and heterogeneous in terms of gene expression. SP neurons consist mainly of projection neurons, which begin to extend their axons to specific target areas very early during development. However, the relationships between axon projection and gene expression patterns of the SP neurons, and their remnant layer 6b (L6b) neurons, are largely unknown. In this study, we analyzed the corticocortical projections of L6b/SP neurons in the mouse cortex and searched for a marker gene expressed in L6b/SP neurons that have ipsilateral inter-areal projections. Retrograde tracing experiments demonstrated that L6b/SP neurons in the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) projected to the primary motor cortex (M1) within the same cortical hemisphere at postnatal day (PD) 2 but did not show any callosal projection. This unilateral projection pattern persisted into adulthood. Our microarray analysis identified the gene encoding a β subunit of voltage-gated potassium channel (Kcnab1) as being expressed in L6b/SP. Double labeling with retrograde tracing and in situ hybridization demonstrated that Kcnab1 was expressed in the unilaterally-projecting neurons in L6b/SP. Embryonic expression was specifically detected in the SP as early as embryonic day (E) 14.5, shortly after the emergence of SP. Double immunostaining experiments revealed different degrees of co-expression of the protein product Kvβ1 with L6b/SP markers Ctgf (88%), Cplx3 (79%), and Nurr1 (58%), suggesting molecular subdivision of unilaterally-projecting L6b/SP neurons. In addition to expression in L6b/SP, scattered expression of Kcnab1 was observed during postnatal stages without layer specificity. Among splicing variants with three alternative first exons, the variant 1.1 explained all the cortical expression mentioned in this study. Together, our data suggest that L6b/SP neurons have corticocortical projections and Kcnab1 expression defines a subpopulation of L6b/SP neurons with a unilateral inter-areal projection

Corrigendum: Retrospective cohort study to determine the effect of preinjury antiplatelet or anticoagulant therapy on mortality in patients with major trauma

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare outcomes among patients who sustained major trauma from injury with and without receiving antiplatelet therapy (APT) or anticoagulant therapy (ACT) to test the hypothesis that APT does not increase the risk of mortality. However, ACT increases the mortality risk in the acute phase of trauma. METHODS: Patients registered in the Japanese Observational body for Coagulation and Thrombolysis in Early Trauma 2 between April 2017 and March 2018 who had sustained a severe injury in any anatomic region of the body, as determined using an injury severity score (ISS) ≥ 16 were included in this retrospective cohort study. We analyzed the mortality within 24 h from the arrival using a multivariable linear regression analysis adjusted for several confounding variables. RESULTS: We identified 1,186 eligible participants who met the inclusion criteria for this study: 105 in the APT (cases), 1,081 in the non-antiplatelet therapy (nAPT) group (controls), 65 in the ACT (cases), and 1,121 in the non-anticoagulant therapy (nACT) group (controls). The mortality within 24 h in the ACT group was significantly higher than in the nACT group (odds ratio 4.5; 95%CI: 1.2–16.79; p = 0.025); however, there was no significant difference between the two groups with or without the antiplatelet drug (odds ratio 0.32; 95%CI: 0.04–2.79; p = 0.3) administration. Other outcomes, like the 28-day mortality, mortality at discharge, and surgery for hemostasis, were not significantly different between regular users and non-users of either antiplatelet or anticoagulant drugs. CONCLUSION: Regular antiplatelet medications did not increase mortality within 24 h, 28 days, or at discharge in patients with major trauma, suggesting that standard treatment, including surgery, is sufficient

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)

Risk profiles and one-year outcomes of patients with newly diagnosed atrial fibrillation in India: Insights from the GARFIELD-AF Registry.

BACKGROUND: The Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF) is an ongoing prospective noninterventional registry, which is providing important information on the baseline characteristics, treatment patterns, and 1-year outcomes in patients with newly diagnosed non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). This report describes data from Indian patients recruited in this registry. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 52,014 patients with newly diagnosed AF were enrolled globally; of these, 1388 patients were recruited from 26 sites within India (2012-2016). In India, the mean age was 65.8 years at diagnosis of NVAF. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for AF, present in 68.5% of patients from India and in 76.3% of patients globally (P < 0.001). Diabetes and coronary artery disease (CAD) were prevalent in 36.2% and 28.1% of patients as compared with global prevalence of 22.2% and 21.6%, respectively (P < 0.001 for both). Antiplatelet therapy was the most common antithrombotic treatment in India. With increasing stroke risk, however, patients were more likely to receive oral anticoagulant therapy [mainly vitamin K antagonist (VKA)], but average international normalized ratio (INR) was lower among Indian patients [median INR value 1.6 (interquartile range {IQR}: 1.3-2.3) versus 2.3 (IQR 1.8-2.8) (P < 0.001)]. Compared with other countries, patients from India had markedly higher rates of all-cause mortality [7.68 per 100 person-years (95% confidence interval 6.32-9.35) vs 4.34 (4.16-4.53), P < 0.0001], while rates of stroke/systemic embolism and major bleeding were lower after 1 year of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Compared to previously published registries from India, the GARFIELD-AF registry describes clinical profiles and outcomes in Indian patients with AF of a different etiology. The registry data show that compared to the rest of the world, Indian AF patients are younger in age and have more diabetes and CAD. Patients with a higher stroke risk are more likely to receive anticoagulation therapy with VKA but are underdosed compared with the global average in the GARFIELD-AF. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01090362

Feeding habits of omnivorous Asplanchna: comparison of diet composition among Asplanchna herricki, A. priodonta and A. girodi in pond ecosystems

Spatial distribution and the diet composition of Asplanchna species were studied in 18 water bodies in Matsuyama, Japan. The abundance of Asplanchna and other rotifers, crustaceans, phytoplankton and microbial plankton, together with basic environmental parameters, were determined between October and December 2006, and the distribution and diet composition of Asplanchna species were estimated. Three species of Asplanchna, A. herricki, A. priodonta and A. girodi were found in the present study, but A. herricki was rather less abundant than the other two species. Their diet composition was different among the species, showing that A. herricki consumed only particulate matter while the diet of A. priodonta included mainly phytoplankton, dominated by dinoflagellates. In contrast, A. girodi was rather carnivorous, and included other rotifers in its diet. Their different food habits are not explained by their morphotypes and trophi structures, suggesting this difference might be related to their feeding abilities. For A. girodi, prey selectivity (Chesson's α) for rotifer prey was negative, except for Keratella cochlearis. The amount of rotifers consumed was also low at a mean prey number of less than 3 per A. girodi gut. The result suggests that the predation impact of Asplanchna as a top-down controller of rotifer populations is species-specific and can be apparent only when Asplanchna population reaches high density in these ponds. From the present results, three Asplanchna species were found to belong to basically different feeding groups, A. herricki is detritivore while A. priodonta and A. girodi are omnivores; but A. girodi is more predacious